John 7 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

1
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk
in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

"He would not walk in Jewry, because
the Jews sought to kill him."

The icon the author of the SAB displays next to his
comment, is the icon of intolerance. Next time some suicide bombers
board a plane, you should go aboard as well, it would be intolerant to
shun those that want to murder you.

2
Now the Jews’ feast of
tabernacles was at hand.

3
His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart
hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that
thou doest.

4
For there is no man that doeth any thing in
secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things,
shew thyself to the world.

5
For neither did his brethren believe in him.

"For neither did his brethren believe
in him."
Even Jesus' family didn't believe in him.

The question here is of course who his brethren
are. Family, that's right. But Jesus had also family who believed him,
such as James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas, names we might
recognize as being his disciples, see Matthew 13:55. So who were these brethren? As John Gill comments:

They therefore are to be understood of some distant relations
of Mary or Joseph, that dwelt at Nazareth, or Capernaum, or in some of
those parts; and the feast of tabernacles being at hand, they put him
upon going up to it, being willing to be rid of him

Nice family. So the statement the author of the SAB actually should
make is: some of Jesus' family believed in him, and some did
not. Which doesn't lead to a convenient conclusion.

6
Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is
alway ready.

7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth,
because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8
Go ye
up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet
full come.

(7:8-10) "I go not up yet unto this
feast."
Jesus tells his family that he wasn't going to the feast, but later
goes "in secret."

I'm somewhat confused to what point the author of the
SAB wants to make here. Jesus says that he does not yet want
to go. He does not say he does not go.
But reading John Gill, it
seems the author of the SAB has copied this comment from another great
enemy of Christianity, Porphyry,
without understanding that Porphyry referred to a few copies where
indeed the phrase is “I do not go up”. But the phrase
“not yet” is in almost any other copy.

9
When he had said these words unto them, he abode
still in Galilee.

10
But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the
feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11
Then the Jews sought him
at the feast, and said, Where is he?

12
And there was much murmuring among
the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay;
but he deceiveth the people.

13
Howbeit no man spake openly of him for
fear of the Jews.

"No man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews."
No one could speak openly about Jesus "for fear of the
Jews."

The author of the SAB displays the icon of
intolerance. Not sure who he calls the intolerant party here. Probably
the party that had no free speech...

14
Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and
taught.

15
And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters,
having never learned?

16
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is
not mine, but his that sent me.

17
If any man will do his will, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak
of myself.

18
He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory:
but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him.

19
Did not Moses give you the law, and
yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

(7:19-20)
Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?"
Jesus accuses people of trying to kill him. But they say to him,
"Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?"

The author of the SAB laughs at Jesus' words when he
says that some try to kill him. He was killed, wasn't he? And the
Romans weren't very interested in Jesus. It were the religious Jews
who saw him as a danger.

20
The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to
kill thee?

21
Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work,
and ye all marvel.

22
Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision;
(not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day
circumcise a man.

23
If a man on the sabbath day receive
circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me,
because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous
judgment.

The author of the SAB first claims that Jesus says that
we shouldn't judge at all, something Jesus has never said, see
Matthew 7:1. Next the author of the
SAB claims a contradiction by quoting this verse. That's a bit rich
isn't it? If one of the premises isn't right, the conclusion doesn't
follow, Elementary
logic.

25
Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom
they seek to kill?

26
But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing
unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

35
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we
shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and
teach the Gentiles?

36
What manner of saying is this that he said,
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am,
thither ye cannot come?

37
In the last day, that great
day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38
He that believeth on
me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water.

"Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Jesus says that those who believe in him will, as the scripture
says, have living waters flowing out of their bellies. Well that
sounds like fun, but there is no such scripture in the
Bible.

Jesus does not quote a particular
verse here. By saying Scripture (or Scriptures as some copies have),
he means to say that this is a summary, a figurative summary of things
found in scripture, see for example Is. 41:17-18. John Gill
even quotes a Jewish saying, quite similar to this:

The Jews ought not to find fault with Christ's using such
expressions, mystically understood, since they, comparing Moses and
the Messiah together, say: “as the first Redeemer caused a well to spring up, so the last Redeemer shall cause waters to spring up, according to Joel 3:18.”

39
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on
him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because
that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

"For the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was
not yet glorified."
Luke claims that Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Simeon were all filled
with the Holy Ghost (Lk.1:41,
67, 2:25-26). But they couldn't have been, since
the Holy Ghost was not given until after Jesus' ascension.When was the Holy Ghost
given?

The giving of the Holy Ghost in
Acts 2:4 was to the Church as a
whole. That does not mean that the Holy Ghost did not dwell in
individuals before. See also Mark 12:36.

40
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a
truth this is the Prophet.

41
Others said, This is the Christ. But some
said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42
Hath not the scripture said,
That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem,
where David was?

43
So there was a division among the people because of
him.

44
And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on
him.

45
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they
said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46
The officers answered,
Never man spake like this man.

47
Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye
also deceived?

48
Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on
him?

49
But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50
Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one
of them,)

51
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and
know what he doeth?

(7:53 - 8:11)
The woman taken in adultery
This is one of the best-known and most-loved of all Bible stories,
but it shouldn't be in the Bible. For although some manuscripts put
it here, others after John 7:36 or 21:35, or Luke 21:38, it
is not found anywhere in the oldest and best
manuscripts.1